Nothing's Fair
by rarmaster
Summary: With Saix in charge of the Replica Program, life is hard for Roxas. Especially when he meets a girl named Xion. Xion's a mistake, and all mistakes are destroyed. How far will Roxas go to protect her? - F t P verse book 3
1. The Start of Falling Apart

okay, so this story is just how Roxas fits into play in my KH series. this takes place after Falling to Pieces.

there's a link to a teaser trailer on my profile

oh, and, this is from Roxas's POV (sorry I never mentioned that sooner... heheh)

* * *

I knew from the very beginning I was a Replica. It wasn't like the program was a secret or anything. There were typically three Vexen Replicas in the Grey Area at any given time. I went on missions with Replicas all the time, too.

I had been with the Organization for maybe a month by this point. Okay, probably less. The Organization sent me off, every day, to go collect Hearts. They said that I was the only one who could, because I was the only one that could wield the Keyblade.

I didn't mind the Heart collection. It was just a routine, and certainly sounded like more fun than all the other missions people got sent on. Recon didn't sound like any fun, and neither did Data collection. I was actually pretty happy with my job.

I had a best friend, too. His name was Axel. Well, I think we're best friends. I don't know what he'd call it, considering he doesn't have a Heart. That's the difference between Nobodies and Replicas. Replicas have hearts, or something close to hearts. I did my best not to rub it in Axel's face. Axel and I often went on missions together, but not all the time. Axel had other things to do than "babysit me" as Saix called it.

Oh, yeah, about Saix; he's like, the guy in charge. Well, not really, the Organization's leader is Xemnas. But Saix was the one that gave out missions. He's also in charge of the Replica Program. He had been ever since the death of Vexen. I always wondered why the Program couldn't be passed on to one of the Vexen Replicas, but apparently that was a bad idea. I didn't care, it didn't concern me.

My life was pretty routine. Wake up, go out, collect hearts, go home, and maybe me and Axel would go get some ice cream.

It didn't stay that way for long, though. In fact, everything changed in one day. And that was the day I went to Castle Oblivion.

I don't remember why I decided to go there, I think I had been curious as to where one of the Replicas was headed off too, and I followed them. It was… I think it was Joseph. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was him. Joseph was a boy of about eleven, with shaggy black hair that fell into his steel blue eyes, and he was definitely one of the more interesting Replicas. There was something different about him and the way his Data worked. I never did bother to ask what. It wasn't my business. Anyways, Joseph was everyone's favorite. All the Organization members liked him, except maybe Saix, and all the Replicas knew him somehow. He and Axel got along well, because they both loved ice cream.

So, I followed Joseph to Castle Oblivion. I knew it was the HQ for all the Replicas, but I had never been there before. I'm not sure why I never bothered to go, but I didn't. Maybe it was because I had heard all these rumors that Castle Oblivion was nothing more than a bunch of floors filled with empty rooms. However, upon my arrival there, I found that this was not the case. In just the room I entered, there were about ten or so computers lined up against one wall, and tables and chairs where many Replicas sat and talked, making it much like the Grey Area back at the Castle. It was also more crowded than the Grey Area, and scanning the room, I counted about ten Vexen Replicas. There were about a million doors, too, each probably leading to another room like this one, or something.

"Roxas! Can I talk to you?" someone called.

I was confused. I didn't recognize the voice. Why would someone I didn't know, know my name? The person who called my name was a girl. She wore a black cloak, like the Organization, and like many of the Replicas. Her hair was black and short, cut right above her shoulders. Her eyes were a dark blue. She looked kind of familiar, but I didn't know why. I walked over to her.

"Who are you?" I asked. "And why do you know my name?"

"I'm Xion," she said. "And I know your name, well, because-" she reached out, and summoned a Keyblade. I gasped.

"How can-?" I began, but she quieted me.

"Do you know who you're a replica of?" Xion asked, banishing her blade. I frowned, thinking about it. I'm sure I knew, it just wasn't coming to me. I delved deep into the back of my mind, and finally found what I was looking for.

"Sora," I replied. "I'm an imperfect Replica of Sora, created without his memories and… uh…" I stopped. That was all I knew. Xion laughed.

"I know your name because we share the same data," she explained. "I was the first Replica of Sora. However… I didn't turn out to well."

I started to say: "no kidding" but I figured that would be mean and so I didn't. Instead, I said: "Do you just sit around here all day?" She nodded. "Why?" I asked.

"I'm a mistake," she whispered. "Saix doesn't like mistakes. It's a wonder I'm still alive."

I suddenly felt really sorry for her, and instantly wished there was something I could do to help. It didn't seem fair. However, she changed the topic quickly, and we spent the next while just talking and getting to know each other. I told her about Axel, and my job of collecting Hearts. And I learned she was extremely subconscious about being a "mistake."

However, I couldn't see why she was so worried about that. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with her. I thought, that even though she was a mistake, that she was a great person, and maybe we could be really great friends one day. And for the first time in a while, I had a really good and not boring day.

Sadly, that day was the start of everything falling apart.


	2. Do I know Anything?

I came back from work to a rather amusing scene. Joseph was currently begging Axel to go with him to get ice cream. A good portion of the Organization sat around, watching them. I remember Xigbar and Demyx being there. Demyx was laughing the entire time (though how he managed without a Heart…) and Xigbar also seemed to be finding it rather amusing.

"Please, Axel?" Joseph begged, bouncing up and down with excitement. "Please, please, please? I've got extra WINNER sticks; I can get you like five ice creams if you take me! Please!"

"I'd do it for that," Demyx said.

Xigbar laughed. "Hey, squirt," he said, catching Joseph's attention. "Where's 29? Can't he take you?"

"He's busy!" Joseph groaned. 29 was the 29th Vexen Replica, who had been charged with taking care of Joseph. "He's got something important he needs to be doing, and he wouldn't tell me what, or when he'd be back." He turned back to Axel. "Please?" he began again. "I really want to get some ice cream, and I can't go by myself. I promise I'll get you some ice cream if you take me. Please?"

Axel finally gave in, apparently tired of hearing Joseph beg. I had a feeling though that he just wanted the ice cream out of it. Axel looked over at me.

"Hey, Roxas," he called. "You want to tag along?"

"Sure," I said.

XXX

Ice cream always meant at trip to Twilight Town. Always. The lady at the shop had been surprised that Joseph had so many WINNER sticks, and I was afraid for a second that she wasn't going to give us our ice cream. However, she did.

By this point, Joseph was just running around the Tram Common, having fun. Me and Axel stood off to the side, enjoying our own ice cream and keeping an eye on him. I was worried he would get into trouble, but Axel didn't say anything, so I assumed it was fine.

"Hey, Roxas," Axel said.

"Yeah?" I asked, turning to look at him. I was shocked to find that his ice cream was already half eaten. He had only had that thing for a few minutes!

"It's been a while since we've hung out like this, huh?"

I paused, ice cream halfway to my mouth. "I… uh… guess," I muttered. I knew I had been spending a lot of time in Castle Oblivion lately. I didn't realize that I hadn't seen Axel in a while since he mentioned it. "I have been spending a lot of time in Castle Oblivion lately…"

"Well what are you doing that for?" Axel laughed. "Nothing interesting ever happens there!"

"That's not true," I said, feeling a bit defensive. I wasn't sure why, exactly. I'm sure every Replica has it _somewhere_ in their data to feel defensive about Castle Oblivion. It is, in a way, every Replica's home. "There's plenty of interesting people there."

"Yeah, like a million Vexen replicas," Axel said sarcastically with a wave of his hand.

"44," I corrected.

Axel looked at me as if I had gone insane. It probably seemed that way to him. I had changed, after going to Castle Oblivion. I knew a lot more, I was noticing more of the world around me. And I was thinking. A lot.

"What's with you?" he asked.

"I- I don't know," I whispered. "I just feel… different."

"You certainly are acting different," Axel muttered.

"Hey! I heard that."

We laughed.

"So, why have you been hanging out in Castle Oblivion then?" Axel asked, as he finished the rest of his ice cream. I looked over it him, and then at my own ice cream, which had just barely reached the halfway point.

"Well, I met someone…" I replied slowly. "She's a replica, like me."

He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Oh boy, this ought to be good," he muttered.

"What?" I asked, completely clueless. I didn't understand what he was talking about. I was only about a month old, technically, at the time. I still had much to learn.

Axel smacked his forehead.

"No, seriously, what!" I asked.

Axel looked at me in disbelief. He probably thought I was an idiot. I sure felt like an idiot. "You… really have no clue, do you?" he said slowly.

"About what?"

"Girls!"

I opened my mouth to say something, and then stopped, frowning as I thought about it. After a minute I replied sheepishly: "No…"

He sighed, and then muttered to himself: "I guess it's a good thing I don't have a heart, I don't have to mess with them."

"What are you talking about?" I was starting to get annoyed. Not really annoyed, just like the "would you hurry up and tell me?" annoyed. It happened with Axel a lot. He liked to dodge questions frequently.

"Look, Roxas, I'd tell you, but I'd spoil all the fun."

"That's not nice…" I mumbled. Axel just laughed.

"Go on," he teased. "Tell me about her. What's her name?"

"Her name's Xion," I replied. I think Axel raised his eyebrows at that, almost as if he recognized the name, but I don't remember. "We share the same data. Except, hers got a bit messed up… she keeps calling herself a 'mistake', but I don't understand why." I sighed.

Axel shrugged. "Don't look at me, I don't understand half the things you Replicas talk about."

"Well, I don't understand half the things you Nobodies talk about," I replied, laughing. Axel laughed at that too.

We faded into silence. I quickly tried to finish what was left of my ice cream before it all melted on me. A good portion of what I had had already done so. My mind started drifting, and I got an idea.

"Hey, you could always come meet her," I said, looking at Axel.

"Sure thing," he shrugged. "But first thing's first. We need to get Joseph back home. Where did that kid run off to?"

I shook my head. Axel and I exchanged glances. He rolled his eyes.

"Let's go find him," he mumbled, and we headed off.

Looking back at that day now, I understand what Axel had been talking about. However, I can't help but feel slightly mad at him. He said he didn't want to spoil the fun. What played out next certainly wasn't fun. I suppose I shouldn't get mad though, it's not like he knew. He was just teasing me.


	3. Freakout

Axel would not stop looking around Castle Oblivion in disbelief. "Man…" he muttered after a while. "This place sure has changed."

I looked at him, slightly shocked. "You've been here before?" I asked.

He nodded. "Long time ago. A really long time ago; before the Replica Program was restarted."

I nodded. I didn't know much about the Restart. I was created long after it, and no one talked about it. Apparently, it was a rather touchy subject. I didn't really care though. It didn't necessarily concern me.

"So, where's this friend of yours?" Axel asked.

"Umm…" I scanned the crowd, trying to find her. "Oh! There she is," I laughed, and turned to Axel. "C'mon, let's go talk to her."

He followed me over to her.

"Hey, Xion," I said, once we were within talking distance. She turned. "I'd like you to meet-"

Xion gasped, cutting me off. Her eyes were wide in shock as she stared at Axel, almost in horror. She drew her blade, and aimed at him. "You're with Saix," she accused.

"What!" Axel asked, just as I shouted. "Xion!"

Quite a few heads turned, about the same time Xion said: "Saix." A few Replicas glared, others took a few steps away from Axel, and some just turned away, obviously not caring.

I stared at Xion in disbelief. I couldn't believe her. I mean, yeah, I had only known her a few days, but _this_? This was- This was just crazy. I couldn't tell what her problem was.

"Xion," I said. "This is my friend, Axel."

"You never mentioned he was a Nobody," Xion snapped at me, never taking her eyes off of Axel.

"Well… I didn't think it mattered…" I muttered, and then shook my head. "_Should_ it matter?"

"Nobodies don't have hearts," Xion said, as if that explained everything. "They'd betray you in a minute without even feeling bad about it."

"Not true!" Axel interrupted, speaking up for the first time.

"Yeah," I said, trying to back Axel. However, I had no idea what I was talking about, if we started arguing about Nobodies. I knew Axel was a good guy, but that was about all I could say.

"He's with _Saix!_" Xion growled, emphasizing each word. She put a lot of hate into Saix's name.

"What are you talking ab-" I began, Xion wouldn't let me finish.

"Didn't you know? He's Saix's right-hand man!"

"Not… exactly…" Axel muttered. "I'm not…"

I reached forward and grabbed Xion's blade, gently trying to pull it from her grasp. I finally got it away from her, and disappeared as soon as it left her hand. "Axel's a good guy," I told her. "Just give him a chance."

She glared at me, most likely because I had taken her Keyblade away. She didn't try to summon it again, though.

Axel laughed. "Picked a crazy one, huh Roxas?"

"What!" I asked, turning to look at him. My voice probably squeaked as I said it. It had a nasty habit of doing that when I was embarrassed. He just laughed harder.

Xion laughed a bit too, and I turned to her. "Really?" I asked. She continued to laugh. I sighed. "You guys are mean…" I muttered. They laughed at me for a bit longer, and I just stood there, letting them have their fun. At least they were getting along.

"Sorry," Xion said once everyone had calmed down. "I shouldn't have freaked like that. It's just… Saix wants me dead. I know it. He could be sending anyone after me."

"Axel wouldn't do that!" I laughed, and then turned to him. "Right, Axel?"

"Yeah…" he said slowly. I glanced around. By this point, everyone had gone back to what they were doing previously. I relaxed a bit.

We started talking after that. Xion calmed down quite quickly. She and Axel started getting along rather well, and it was impossible to tell that they had been fighting a few minutes ago. I was glad for that, because I knew it wouldn't have been good if they had continued fighting.

I was in the middle of telling Xion something (though, I can't remember what it was now,) when Axel interrupted suddenly.

"Why does Saix want you dead?" he asked Xion. I could tell by the way he had asked it that it had been bothering him for a while.

Xion laughed. "I guess I was wrong about you, Axel," she said. "You really aren't close to Saix at all."

"Not when it comes to the Replica Program," Axel replied. "He doesn't tell me anything about it."

"My data's corrupt," Xion explained. "To him, I'm a mistake and a failure, and I should have been destroyed the moment I went wrong. I think he's forgotten about me though, which is why I'm still here now. If he finds out about me, I'm dead."

I swallowed, looking at Xion. It was no wonder she freaked when she saw Axel. I probably would have, too.

_It must be terrible to have to live with that fear,_ I thought. _Not knowing who to trust; because anyone could have been sent to take you down._

"You can't tell Saix about me," Xion said, glaring at Axel. Her eyes darted over to me, and I nodded, knowing that she was going to tell me the same thing. But I wasn't about to tell Saix.

"No problem," Axel laughed.

"Yeah, we're your friends, you can trust us," I said.

She smiled. "Thanks."

Thing seemed to be going great. Sure, I was now best friends with a wanted Replica, but I didn't think at the time that it would be dangerous. As long as Saix didn't know, I was fine. It never occurred to me what would happen if he did find out. But if he did, I was in so much trouble.

Honestly, I didn't think I cared. For the first time in my life, I had something to hold onto. It was almost… fun, living with this secret. I mean, yeah, probably every Replica knew Xion existed, but they had all probably promised not to tell Saix. Replicas are weird like that. We look out for each other, even if we don't know each other. I wouldn't think that a single person in that room would have turned Xion over to Saix.

That's what I thought, at least.


	4. Working Together

chapters may be getting shorter from here on out. I'm sorta writing this story as entries in Roxas's Diary, and not all of them can be long

* * *

"Roxas, you'll be going on missions alone from here on out," was the _first_ thing I heard when I walked into the Grey Area that morning. I frowned, glaring at Saix.

"Why?" I asked.

"Do you need to know?" he replied.

"I'd like to…" I muttered.

"We no longer have the numbers to continue sending help with you on your missions. Many of the Replicas have gone missing."

"Missing?" I asked. That sounded awfully strange. I wondered what he meant by that. "What do you-"

"It doesn't concern you," Saix said, quickly. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was upset about this. I sighed, and opened up a dark corridor, setting off on a long day's work.

XXX

Upon arrival at Castle Oblivion at the end of said day, I collapsed onto a nearby, and thankfully empty, couch.

"You okay, Roxas?" Xion asked, sitting down next to me.

"Yeah, just tired," I replied. "Work was rough today, had to go on all my missions alone. Apparently there's not enough people to send with me anymore." I groaned. "Tomorrow's gonna be rough, too…"

"Maybe… I could help you?" Xion suggested.

"Huh?" I asked, looking up at her.

"I could go with you on your missions, couldn't I?"

I stared at her, confused, still not getting it. She smiled, drawing her Keyblade.

"I could help you collect Hearts," she explained. "We could share the load, that way you wouldn't be so tired, and I'd have something to do." She laughed, banishing her blade. "And I bet it would be fun."

I frowned, thinking about the idea. The more I thought about it, the more I began to like it. A grin slowly spread across my face. "Yeah… that would be fun," I laughed, and then paused, as I started thinking about it more. "Do you think we could though?" I asked, starting to doubt the idea. "What if someone finds out? What if _Saix_ finds out?"

"We'll just have to be careful," Xion said, flashing me a devious smile. I laughed again.

"Alright," I said.

The plan was simple. After receiving my missions, I'd head over to Castle Oblivion. From there, me and Xion would head to wherever those missions were. And after a day full of killing Heartless and laughter, we'd go back to Castle Oblivion, and just sit and laugh for another hour or so, before I'd finally head home.

It seemed so many things could go wrong. None of them did. I guess we were just lucky. And… maybe it was a good thing we were doing this. It meant less time for Xion to sit around and do nothing. Which… also meant less time waiting with baited breath for someone to finally turn her in. It was better for her, at least. It got her mind off of her usual worries, if nothing else.

What did we do on missions? Like I said, kill heartless and laugh about stupid stuff. I can't remember half of what we were laughing about, let alone why it was so funny. We'd also save each other's butts often. Always, in Halloween Town, one of us would save the other from Search Ghosts. Those things were always annoying. We'd laugh about it afterwards, though.

I remember one day, Xion _insisted_ on keeping a Heartless as a pet. She named it Fred. It was one of those Shadows, which, I'll admit, are kind of cute. And it's not like I get any Hearts for killing them, so it really didn't matter. She carried it around all day. However, I accidently killed it when we were attacked by a horde of Heartless. She was mad at me for a week after that. Nearly let me get killed by Search Ghosts.

Axel would occasionally meet us at Castle Oblivion after work. We'd sit and talk, just like friends do. Xion and I had a nasty habit of laughing about whatever happened to be particularly funny that day, leaving Axel in the dark. We weren't trying to, and I do feel bad about it now. Axel didn't seem mind, though.

So… that's how life went for us. And it was rather nice.

I never saw what was coming next, though.


	5. Not Right

in response to Flightfoot's question; YES this does fit in with Falling to Pieces. it fits in rather like 358/2 Days fits in with the rest of the Kingdom Hearts series. trust me, you'll see how it all fits soon (at latest, by the time the next story's up)

* * *

"Roxas, I- I can't go on missions with you anymore," Xion said, rather quickly.

"What? Why not?" I asked. I had no idea what she was worried about. Had Saix found out or something?

"I- I can't summon my Keyblade," she muttered nervously.

I laughed. I couldn't believe that that was all she was worried about. What did she think, that I wouldn't want her help anymore? I quickly explained that to her.

She shook her head. "It's not just that…"

"Then what?"

She refused to look me in the eye. "Roxas…" she whispered. "I'm running out of time. Not being able to summon my Keyblade is just the start of it. I'm falling apart. My data was never meant to last. And if I continue going with you on missions, I'll just- I'll fall apart faster."

I swallowed. I didn't want her to fall apart. But it didn't make sense. "Why was this happening?" I asked.

"Roxas, I'm a _mistake_," Xion explained. I frowned. I never liked it when she called herself that. "I was doomed to fail from the start."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was this really true? Was Xion… dying? I couldn't imagine what my life would be like without her.

"That's not fair!" I said. I did my best not to sound upset, however, I knew it didn't work.

Xion just laughed. "Well… nothing's fair, Roxas."

I stared at her in shock. My head was spinning, my mind was reeling. "Isn't there some way to fix-" I began, but I didn't know how to say it, so I stopped. I knew she understood what I meant though.

She shrugged. "Who'd miss me?"

"I would!" I protested. I couldn't believe she was acting this way. How could she think that?

"No one else would. And no one cares enough to fix me."

I was devastated. This wasn't fair. There had to be some way. I could tell Xion was done talking about it though. I sighed. "I need to go," I muttered, turning away. "Long day at work, you know?"

She nodded. "Have fun!"

I nodded. I didn't want to say anything. Xion confused me. Why didn't she want to try and get her life back? Was she seriously content on giving up and wasting the rest of whatever time she had left sitting here in Castle Oblivion, doing nothing?

I wasn't ready to give up, though. Xion might have, but there had to be a way. Someone had to know how to fix her. And I had to help her. She deserved the right to live.

XXX

Missions weren't the same without Xion. I didn't mind the extra work, but it just wasn't fun anymore. I was just killing Heartless. Xion made everything exciting. There was someone to laugh with, someone to even compete with. We did use to get in some of the stupidest competitions. "Who can kill the most Heartless?" and "I bet I can kill x amount of Heartless faster than you can!"

The job used to be a breeze. Now it was just boring, and a pain.

XXX

I think I avoided Castle Oblivion for a good few days, because I was so upset. I couldn't think of who to ask about if there was a way to fix her or not. I was afraid that anyone I brought the subject up to would just turn Xion into Saix, so I just didn't bother asking.

Axel noticed something was up. He grabbed me after work one day and asked if anything was wrong. I did my best to explain the situation to him. He seemed to understand, or at least pretended to, to make me feel better.

"Listen, Roxas, I don't know what to tell you," Axel said. He was smiling, but not as much as he usually did. That actually made me feel better. At least he wasn't trying to make a joke of the entire thing. "But maybe you should stop trying to avoid the problem."

"Avoid?" I asked. At the time, I was completely unaware that I had been avoiding Castle Oblivion.

"You should try and make whatever time Xion has left enjoyable, so she's not just sitting around all day waiting to die."

I looked at him. "I should?"

He nodded.

"How do you know?" I asked.

He chuckled slightly. "I may not have a heart, but I remember what it was like to have one."

"Alright…" I muttered. "I guess I'll go…"

"No need to thank me," Axel said, as I opened up a dark corridor. I stepped through, and just before it closed I heard Axel mutter:

"Sheesh, I didn't think he would take that literally."

XXX

I was spending more and more time at Castle Oblivion. I would to my best to finish up as quickly as I could with my missions and then head straight over there. I didn't dare complain about how tiresome the work was. That would have only made Xion feel bad.

We still laughed about stupid things. Not as much as we used to. But it was still nice. We would just sit, and talk for hours upon hours. I would occasionally tell her about something funny that happened on a mission that day, but not often. I didn't want her to feel bad about not being there.

One day, I remember, Joseph had been begging to go get ice cream. No one wanted to take him, so I offered. I made sure to bring Xion some ice cream afterward. I thought that she deserved a treat.

She had become quieter, lately. I guess she was having trouble coping. I'd often see her, when I was coming or going, she'd open up a dark corridor, and then close it quickly. Each time she would breathe a sigh of relief. I began to wonder if the inability to open corridors would be another sign that she was falling apart.

I never brought that subject up. I didn't want to. She seemed perfectly okay with the entire thing, though I think she was honestly doing that just to be strong for me. I think she thought that I couldn't handle it.

Maybe I couldn't.


	6. Legend

alright, in answer to Flightfoot's question (again) the Organization created a Replica of Sora to help help complete Kingdom Hearts (cause they need the keyblade to collect hearts) and the only reason there's two sora replicas, is because Xion (the first Sora replica) failed, and so they had to create Roxas.

this chapter sorta explains how things start fitting together. there's a gap between Falling to Pieces and the next story (still haven't found a title) and this is what Riku's doing during that gap

* * *

Something oddly interesting happened today.

We may never have before this, but I knew exactly who he was. Everyone in the Organization knew who he was. Every _Replica_ knew who he was. To the Organization, he was a menace and a danger, having eliminated a third of their numbers in a mere two days. To the Replicas, he was a legend, as he was the only Replica to establish a complete sense of self.

This was Riku.

I remember I had my Keyblade out, and that was probably the only reason he noticed me. I suppose I had a very stupid look on my face, as I tended to get when people stared at me. His eyes darted constantly between my Keyblade and my face.

"Who are you?" he demanded, in a tone of voice only he could manage. It was curt, curious, and kind all at the same time. He looked me directly in the eye as he said it, and I swallowed. His eyes had anger within them.

"I'm Roxas," I replied. I'm sure I looked like an idiot. I had felt so nervous at the time. I'm sure Riku doesn't know it, but he had that certain affect on people. He could strike fear into your very core, while giving you hope at the same exact time.

His eyes were intent on my face, and I could see discomfort slowly growing in them. It's hard to describe the look on his face, exactly. He looked… haunted, almost. And the longer he looked at me, the more haunted his face became.

He turned away. "You look just like him," he whispered.

Sora.

I look just like Sora.

I didn't know what to say. Quietly, I whispered: "I am a replica of him."

He nodded. "Not a perfect one, obviously."

"Yeah," I sighed, and I banished my Keyblade.

Riku looked up, most of his discomfort gone. "You know, I've been here two months. How is it that I just now ran into you?"

I shrugged. "I don't… live here. I just… I hang out here a lot."

We stood in silence for a minute. I didn't know what to say. He was obviously deep in thought, I could tell by the look on his face. Finally, I gathered up the courage to ask the question that had been nagging at me for a bit.

"Why have you been here so long?" I asked.

"Hmm?" he said, eyebrows raised. "Oh, I- I'm looking for Sora. He was dragged into darkness a while ago. I'm hoping that I'll be able to find him again. And some of the Replicas here offered to help me out."

I raised my eyebrows at this. Maybe _that_ was where those Replicas that Saix mentioned had disappeared off to. It wouldn't surprise me. Many of the Replicas disliked Saix, I wouldn't put it past some to ditch their job to help Riku.

Riku swallowed. "Anyways, I should go."

"Yeah," I nodded.

He waved, and then walked off.

I let out a small sigh of relief, though I had no idea why. I quickly located Xion. She had been watching me the entire time, it seemed. The look on her face was an odd one. She seemed almost… mad.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing," she replied.

I quickly followed her gaze, which was intent on Riku's retreating form. She noticed, and glanced over at me. I raised my eyebrows, curious as to what was up.

"Do you not like him or something?" I asked.

"I just think everyone is making a big deal over nothing," Xion said simply. "Everyone treats him as some sort of hero. _He's_ the reason we're in this mess."

"He is?" I obviously knew nothing.

"You ever hear much about the Restart?" Xion asked. I shook my head. "He's the reason why there _was_ a Restart. He killed Vexen, forcing the Replica Program to move to Saix's hand."

"Oh," I muttered. I was starting to see why she didn't like Riku. She hated anyone and everyone that was involved with Saix. And even if Riku wasn't _with_ Saix, he was the reason Saix was in charge. Therefore, in Xion's book, Riku wasn't someone to be thought highly of.

"How was work today?" Xion asked, changing the subject.

I shrugged. "The usual."

"Go on any exciting missions?"

"Nope."

The silence we fell into after that became rather awkward. We quickly got over it, and started talking about random crap as we usually did.


	7. No Time to Think

Whispers of the Rebellion were everywhere. They had always been around. Every since the Restart, there had always been Replicas who didn't like Saix, and had gone Rogue. Now, however, it was more noticeable then ever before. Some Replicas would never RTC. Saix was getting rather angry, especially for a Nobody.

My trips to Castle Oblivion became less frequent, and each time I went the air was tense. Castle Oblivion was the Replica HQ, and I think that also became the HQ for the Rebellion. But I refused to stop going, even after Saix forbade it. Xion's time was running out, and I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could.

I never thought much about the Rebellion. I didn't care.

That's how it used to be, at least.

XXX

It was quite a shock when I ran into Xion on one of my missions. She looked almost as if she hadn't slept in days. Her eyes were tired, darting around frantically, as if she was expecting something to jump out and grab her suddenly.

"Xion!" I exclaimed, shocked and overjoyed. It had been a while since I had last seen her.

She quickly hushed me, grabbing me by the arm. "You're alone, right?" she asked quickly, quietly.

"Of course I am…" I replied slowly. I was starting to get confused. I had never seen Xion so… nervous. She swallowed, looking me in the eye. She seemed frantic… scared, almost.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "And where have you been?"

She shook her head. "I've been running. Saix is looking for me."

That would explain it. Saix had found out. About what, exactly? It didn't matter. He was looking for her, and when he found her…

Saix hated mistakes. Xion was lucky she was still alive now.

"Listen, Roxas," she said. "You can't tell _anyone_ you ran into me. Got it?"

I nodded, too scared to say anything.

"Not even Axel," Xion continued. "Promise me, Roxas."

"Promise," I said.

She nodded, letting go of my arm and starting to walk away. I grabbed her hand, stopping her. She looked at me. I stared. I was about to say something, but didn't want to say it. If I said it, that would make this moment… awkward. I hated awkward.

What did I want to say? There were so many thoughts and emotions running through my head at the time. I was scared, and confused. I didn't want to let her go. Part of me just wanted to… to go with her. And I almost wanted to tell her that.

I didn't though.

"Be careful," I said instead, squeezing her hand. She flashed me a small smile, and I let go. She opened up a dark corridor and left.

I thought that was the last time I would see her. I hoped that somehow, someway, that wouldn't be so. It was a small hope.

The Rebellion was the only thing on my mind after that. I barely did the work I was supposed to, I'm surprised I even bothered to RTC. I wanted to help with the Rebellion, because maybe, just maybe, Xion would have a chance.

And maybe I'd work up the nerve to ask someone if they could fix her.

And then everything would be alright.


	8. Out of Time

Endings come quicker than you think... wow. sorry about not uploading this sooner, i completely forgot i had it finished

* * *

Today's mission was in Twilight Town. I ran into Xion. I'm not sure how I felt about that. I guess… I was relieved. I'm not sure. She sat, looking scared, in one of Twilight Town's alleyways.

"Xion!" I said, quickly running over and kneeling down next to her. "What's wrong?"

"Roxas!" she replied, sounding rather relieved. She was smiling slightly, but her smile quickly fell. "I- I can't form dark corridors," she whispered.

"What?" I asked, all my hope shattering.

She shrugged, looking helpless. "This is the end of the line for me. Saix is going to catch up to me soon."

I swallowed, and then quickly reached out, starting to form a dark corridor. Xion grabbed my hand, stopping me.

"Don't," she said.

"But-" I protested. "We can get out of here!"

She shook her head. "What's the use? I don't have much time left."

"We can ask someone. I've run into a few Vexen Replicas. I'm sure one of them would know how to fix you, and then-" I paused, hesitating for a second before I said it. "And then we could just… just go. Somewhere, anywhere, away from here. Somewhere where we didn't have to worry about Saix. I can't just let you die, Xion. I can't let you give up."

She stared at me. I suddenly felt like an idiot for saying all that. But then she smiled, squeezing my hand.

"Roxas, I-" she began.

The unmistakable sound of a dark corridor opening stopped her.

"That's him," she whispered. "That's Saix."

"Let's go!" I urged.

She shook her head, letting go of my hand. "I can't let you die for me, Roxas. If Saix see's you with me, you're dead."

"But-"

"Go! Get out of here."

I stared at her in shock. "Xion…" I whispered. She smiled meekly at me, and then waved her hand, telling me to go. And I listened.

I don't know why I listened. I should have stayed with her. I should have been by her side.

Instead, I waited around the corner, watching as Saix approached. He didn't even say anything. He just reached down and grabbed her by the scruff of her cloak, pulling her to her feet. She didn't say anything either, just stared at him, accepting her fate.

I couldn't watch this.

"No!" I shouted. Xion turned to look at me.

'What the heck are you doing, Roxas!' she mouthed.

I shrugged, smiling at my own idiocy. 'I can't let you die,' I mouthed back.

Saix turned to look at me then, eyes cold.

"Do you know her?" he asked.

Xion shook her head.

Again, I listened to her, and I replied: "No."

A small smile played at Saix's lips. "Then you won't mind if I do _this_!" He impacted his final word by striking Xion with his claymore. I gasped, a scream actually escaping my lips. Xion's eyes went wide, and Saix let her go, and she fell.

She had faded before she could hit the ground.

"That wasn't very nice!" I protested. It was a rather stupid thing to say, but it was the only thing on my mind at the time.

"What do you care what happens to her?" he asked. "That thing was just a mistake. She was broken. Defective."

I was so angry by this point. "Don't say that!" I shouted.

Saix just looked at me, like I was crazy.

I wanted to punch him in the face. No, more than that, I wanted to pull out my blade and attack.

But I didn't.

I walked away.

I should have attacked him. I should have died right then and there, with Xion. I should have been by her side. I would have at least gone out honorably.

Now?

Well, who knows what's going to happen when I run into Saix tomorrow?


	9. The End of it All

Last chapter! WOOT! man you guys are going to hate me... *sighs*

well, the REAL sequel to falling to pieces will be up within the next week or so. It's going to be called Dead Inside. Keep an eye out for it

* * *

"Who knows what's going to happen when I run into Saix tomorrow?"

Axel read that last line again, and then quickly turned the page. It was blank. He turned to the next page. It was also blank. He looked up at the Vexen Replica who had told him to read this, Roxas's journal.

"Where's the rest?" he asked.

"There is no more," the Vexen Replica replied.

"What do you mean there's no more?"

"Roxas has been eliminated."

Axel swallowed. He had heard Saix say that he had to go deal with a rogue Replica. He hadn't thought for one second that that Replica was Roxas.

Apparently, it had been.

XXX

"Saix, this has gone too far!" Axel said. Saix turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

"Really now?" Saix responded, his voice cold. Axel's blood began to boil. For not having a heart, he was getting rather angry.

"Ever since you were put in charge of the Replica Program, you've let all that power go to your head!"

Saix chuckled quietly. "Is _that_ all you're worried about?" he asked. Axel's face slowly fell into a glare.

"You didn't need to kill Roxas!" he said, voice rising to a shout.

"He was no longer acting within our best interest," Saix replied. That brought Axel's fury to a sudden halt. Anyone who defied the Organization was to be destroyed. And Roxas did just that. Him and every other Replica involved in the Rebellion. Axel swallowed, Saix just smiled, knowing he was right.

_But still… _Axel thought. _There's something not right about how the Replica Program runs… Xion didn't need to die… _He sighed.

"What's the matter, Axel?" Saix asked. "Having a change of heart?" The way the last word came out emphasized the fact that they didn't _have_ hearts. Axel glared at him for a second, and then turned, walking away.

Somehow, he was going to help fix things. He wasn't sure how, exactly. He might just have to help with the Rebellion. The price he would pay if he was caught would be high, but if Saix was in charge of the Program much longer, more innocent people might die. Enough had died already.

Saix would pay. Somehow.


End file.
